Sleeping Christians

20092007

by NORMAN S. LAO

Personal Narrative

Yesterday morning in Pastor Acosta’s class, Principles and Varieties of Preaching, while he was lecturing, one of my classmates fell fast asleep. He was literally laying flat on his armchair anesthetized to the world around him. Upon seeing him, Pastor Acosta immediately awakened him and, maybe, feeling offended at the disrespectful action, started a short “sermon” to address the rather embarrassing situation. The subject being discussed was very interesting (for me at least). We were studying the basics of sermon preparation. How could he have slept? I don’t know. Maybe, for various reasons, he had not much sleep the night before. Or maybe he was just plain bored. It’s not an excuse, however, to insult the teacher that way. Pastor Acosta told him to remain after class.

Reflection

Many Christians today are asleep, spiritually, that is. They are oblivious to what’s happening in their world. Rape, incest, sexual immorality, drugs, corruption, materialism, homosexuality, etc. are taking a firm hold of our already sick and diseased society with nothing and no one to check their steady advance simply because Christians are fast asleep. If we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, then what is happening in our world today only shows that we are not fulfilling our God-ordained responsibilities. There should be a powerful wake-up call for us. We need a spiritual awakening that will shake us out of our slumber. We must wake up to the reality that we cannot sit pretty while the world is going down to perdition. We need to wake up from our apathy. “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Revelation 16:15)

Prayer

Dear God in heaven, awaken us from our slumber, shake us from our sleep and make us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Send revival to the church, O, God. Bring down fire from heaven into our hearts. Consume us and fill us with the Holy Spirit. Restore our zeal for you and for your work. Set our hearts ablaze once again. Raise up a company of saints who will do your will without question in these last days. In Jesus’ name, Amen.